The Internship- Chapter One

Harry sat with his friends Ron and Hermione at breakfast as they approached the end of their Third Year at Hogwarts. He was upset that Professor Lupin had resigned because Snape had leaked that he was a Werewolf to the Slytherins. He would be returning to his relatives now although Lupin had promised to keep in contact so he would have another bright spark to add to what would likely be a pretty awful summer.

He heard the distinctive sound of the morning postal owls arrive and looked up to see if Hedwig was there, but he didn't see her. What he did see were three Barn owls flying towards him, Ron and Hermione.

"Dear Mr Potter,

It is my great pleasure to inform you that having looked at your years Defence Against the Dark Arts grades we have determined that you are particularly talented in this field. It is for this reason that we hereby extend the offer of a summer internship with the Auror Office of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. We make this offer as we believe that you may have potential.

If you wish to accept this offer simply write a letter of confirmation of acceptance and we will inform you of any further details. The internship runs from July 1st to August 31st and will cover the basic skills of an Auror. We hope that you will accept this offer and look forward to seeing you at seven thirty am on July 1st.

Also, in this envelope you will find a list of all the equipment that you will need to either purchase or acquire for the duration of your Internship.

Regards,

Rufus Scrimgeour, Head of the Auror Office"

Harry looked at the letter with a look of shock before turning to Ron and Hermione and seeing equal looks of shock on their faces. Ron went to speak but both Harry and Hermione gave him a look that said, "not here". As if they read each other's minds they stood and made their way back to the Gryffindor Common Room.

-X-X-X-X-X-

Minerva Mcgonagall was looking forward to a well-deserved rest over the summer. She was deeply upset at the forced resignation of one of her favourite ever students but Professor Snape had told his Slytherin's about Remus' lycanthropy so Remus had resigned to prevent a scandal. She had always had a soft spot for the troublemakers in Gryffindor House the Marauders were a pleasure to teach as were the Weasley twins, you just never knew what they would come out with next. She thought about her current favourite students. Potter, Granger and Weasley were a joy to teach. They were always up to something and although she worried about them, they always rose to the occasion. She turned to look at her favourite trio, who some staff had started to call the Golden Trio.

She saw a Barn owl land in front of each of them. She curiously continued looking at them as they took the letters and opened them. She became concerned as she saw the look of shock on the three young lions faces before they looked at each other and in silent agreement; the likes of which she'd only seen the Marauders and Weasley twins; and made their way quickly but calmly out of the hall.

She wouldn't lie to herself and say that she wasn't worried about the trio, anything that brought a look of shock to all three of their faces must be pretty big. She looked at Albus to see if he had noticed but she saw that he was heavily involved in a conversation with Filius. She contemplated going after the trio but decided not to, if they needed her help then they would most likely ask for it or knowing the three as well as she did, they'd probably figure it out by themselves. Having decided to leave the trio be for the moment she turned back to her breakfast and once she had finished that she made her way to her office and started grading the end of year assignment and then she looked over her reports for the rest of the year.

-X-X-X-X-X-

Harry, Ron and Hermione made their way back to the Gryffindor Common Room in silence. As they climbed through the Portrait Hole, they were glad to see that it was empty apart from them as they made their way to their favourite seats in front of the fire. They sat Harry in an armchair and Ron and Hermione on a sofa before looking at each other for a moment before Harry spoke.

"So, what were your letter about?"

"You first Harry" said Ron

"Well, my letter was from someone named Rufus Scrimgeour and he was offering me a summer internship with the Auror Office" finished Harry as he looked at both Ron and Hermione.

"That's what mine said as well" blurted out Hermione.

"Mine too" Ron added.

Harry thought about the offer for a second before realising that he didn't even no what an Auror was.

"Err guys, what's an Auror?" he stuttered.

" You don't know what an Auror is" cried Ron incredulously before Hermione interrupted

"Ron, Harry and I weren't raised in the magical world as you know" she said with a slightly exasperated tone.

"Oh yeah, I forget that sometimes" he sheepishly " sorry mate" he said before clearing his throat.

"It's fine, Ron" Ron nodded before speaking.

"Well, anyway. Auror's work for the Ministry of Magic. They're about the most elite law enforcement operatives that the Ministry employs. According to what my dad told me the Auror's main role is as a Dark Wizard Catcher. During You-Know-Who's time the Auror's were the ones who did most of the fighting and after you got your scar it was the Auror's who tracked down and caught most of his Death Eater's at least the ones who are now in Azkaban" he paused for breath. "The greatest Auror of all time is Mad-Eye Moody. Half the cells in azkaban are filled thanks to him" he finished.

"So Auror's fight Dark Wizards" Harry asked.

"Yeah mate" Ron replied.

"So are we going to accept the offer" Harry asked as he looked at his friends.

"Yeah we should" said Ron "Auror's are the best of the best if they asked us it's because they think that we can do it" he finished.

Hermione looked thoughtful for a moment before speaking "We should speak to Professor Mcgonagall about it first before we accept" she advised. Ron looked slightly annoyed that they would be talking to Mcgonagall but Harry agreed with Hermione. If they were going to do an internship, then they should probably get some advice from Professor Mcgonagall.

"I agree with Hermione" he said. Hermione was beaming whilst Ron looked stunned.

"Come on mate. Me and Hermione know almost nothing about how the Ministry works and if we're going to be interns there then we should probably know more about it, right" he finished.

Ron looked thoughtful for a moment before sighing "Okay then, let's go talk to Mcgonagall. If we're lucky she'll be in her office.

They stood up and made their way to Mcgonagall's office.

-X-X-X-X-X-

Minerva had just finished writing up her end of year report on Gryffindor House when she heard a knock at the door. She wondered who it could be but then she remembered the Golden Trio's reactions at breakfast and she wondered whether she was going to find out what that had been about.

"Enter" she called out from her desk and low and behold the Trio entered.

"Ah Mr Potter, Mr Weasley, Miss Granger what can I do for you" she asked genuinely curious about why they were here. She saw them pause for a moment before wordlessly they seemed to decide that Hermione would be the one to speak, she was the Trio's spokesperson apparently

"Well, Professor this morning at breakfast we each received an owl from the Ministry of Magic" he paused leaving Mcgonagall to wonder what the Ministry would want with three of her students.

"Go on" she encouraged.

"The letters were offering each of us a summer internship at the Auror Office and we were looking for some advice on it, Professor" Miss Granger finished.

Minerva was shocked and it was only through decades of practice that she was able to keep the shock off of her face.

"The Auror Office you say"

"Yes, Professor" this time Harry spoke

She sat back in her chair and contemplated what she had just heard. Of all the things that could shock the students before her she had not predicted this. The Ministry usually had a number of internships open to Hogwarts students over the summer and the students were encouraged to do one but the Auror Office was different, unlike the rest of the Ministry it didn't offer internships to the public. What it did do was offer them privately and they usually just wrote to the intended person to ask, usually it was a formality as it was nearly always accepted.

"May I have a look at the letter please" she asked, and Harry handed over his copy of the letter, as she read it through she was surprised to see that the letter was from Rufus Scrimgeour himself. If the Head of the Auror Office was writing to them personally then it must be a serious request. She started to think of the benefits that the internship could bring to the three students sat in front of her desk. The three young lions before her had a penchant for getting into trouble, a trait that the Auror Office would value plus they had an inane ability for working things out and investigating plus they seemed to be the school experts at improvisation and she knew from the reports that Remus had given her that they were top three at DADA in their year with Harry especially allegedly being the best in the whole school. Add in the fact that these always seemed to have a Dark Wizard or Dark Creature after them and she knew from what she usually discusses with her fifth years what the requirements an Auror needed and they were all capable of them. She had made her choice.

"Personally, I believe that you should do the internship" she said.

"Why do say that, Professor" asked Harry.

"You three have a habit of finding yourselves in dangerous situations and you are equally capable at finding a way out of them" she said whilst trying to give a serious look but the upsides of her mouth were slightly turning upwards as she fought a smile. As a Hogwarts Professor and Deputy Headmistress she should disapprove but as Head of Gryffindor House she did approve. Godric Gryffindor had liked people in his House to have a troublesome streak and she wholeheartedly agreed with his line of thinking. To her being the Head of Gryffindor House was probably the most enjoyable job at Hogwarts whilst Filius could praise his Ravenclaws on their results but that got dull after a while, Pamona could praise her Hufflepuffs on their hard-work but that became nothing more than a normal bit of praise after a while and Severus could praise his House for staying out of his way. She on the other hand had many things that she could be proud of her Gryffindors for. A highly successful and complicated prank was to be praised, an act of extreme bravery was to be praised, a Quidditch victory was to be praised and a new adventure was to be encouraged as long as no one was hurt.

The trio blushed at the praise and looked at each other with a grin "so you think that we should do it then, Professor"

"Yes, I think you should" she said with a smile.

"What about the equipment that we will need?" said Ron.

"Let's have a look shall we" said Professor Mcgonagall with a smile as she opened the equipment list and read it out:

"If you opt to accept the offer of an internship then you will need the following pieces of equipment:

A wand holster for either hand

A Potion's belt

A good, concealable cloak

A second wand

A Beginner's Guide to Magical Combat by Oliver Moody

A Basic History of the Dark Arts by Theseus Scamander

A Beginners Guide to Investigation by Venusia Crickerly

How to use Transfiguration in Combat by Albus Dumbledore

Combative Potions and the use of Poisons and Antidotes by

Curses and Counter-Curses by Professor Vindictus Viridian

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by Newt Scamander

How to use Charms in Combat by Filius Flitwick

Curse-Breaking: A Beginners Guide by Professor Patricia Rakepick

The Book of Charms and Spells by Samuel Journeux

Any further equipment or books will be provided for you. Also, if you have a parent or guardian who works for the Department of Magical Law Enforcement then please include their name and the Office that they work for and we will send you a code for a discount as a DMLE sponsor.

Signed,

Rufus Scrimgeour, Head of the Auror Office

"That's a lot of books" said Harry as he noticed Ron pale at the mention of books and Hermione eyes held a look of joy at the thought of more books.

"Why do we need a second wand though" asked Harry curiously.

"Well, Mr Potter most Auror's have at least two wands and for a few reasons. One is so that if they are disarmed, they have a spare, another is that they usually use one at home and another at work. They also have multiple because some Auror's are capable of using two wands at once and being able to cast and shield at the same time is a very valuable skill, it's also likely why you need two wand holster's" she finished.

"How am I going to pay for all of this" moaned Ron. Although he did raise a good point as his family were not exactly rich and he knew that it had cost the family to get Ron a new wand last summer. It was then that he decided that he would help both of them if they needed it.

"I'll help you with the money you need, Ron" he said then when he saw Ron was about to argue he continued "Ron, I don't have a home, the closest thing that I've got to one is Hogwarts and then after that the Burrow. Your family have always treated me properly more so than my own has ever done" he finished. He then looked at Ron who was mouth agape whilst Hermione looked concerned. Inside she felt a wave of worry but quickly focused back on the conversation.

Ron looked like he was trying to find the words to speak before just muttering "thanks, mate".

"When are we going to go and buy those things then because we won't have time to do it between the year ending and the internship starting" said Hermione trying to bring the conversation back to a more easy-going topic.

"I could take you on Saturday if that is acceptable to you three" she said with a smile. Technically, students couldn't go off the schoolground unless it was a Hogsmeade weekend but if they were accompanied by a teacher then they could.

"It is, Professor" said Harry after a look at Ron and Hermione.

"Professor" Harry started but nervously pauses almost as if he was unsure about what he wanted to say. She looked at him and she could see a nervousness in his green eyes that from the looks Ron and Hermione had on their faces was known only to him.

"Yes Harry" she encouraged tenderly making sure not to be too harsh as it was clear that he wanted to tell her something important and if he needed support then she would give him it as she knew that he must be taking Professor Lupin's departure hard.

Harry sat there for moment before speaking " Professor if it's possible can you not inform Professor Dumbledore that I've got an internship" he finished before adding a heartfelt "please", from the reactions of Weasley and Granger it was clear that they were surprised at his request as she was.

Minerva considered her options as the Headmaster of the school Dumbledore should technically know that she was taking three students of the grounds but then as Deputy Headmistress and Head of Gryffindor House she could approve it without telling Albus but she first needed to know why Harry didn't want Albus knowing.

"Before I can agree Harry, I need to know why you don't want Professor Dumbledore to know"

Harry was silent for a moment before sighing "every year he makes me return to my relatives and I know that if he finds out about the internship he'll just say it's too dangerous and then force me to spend the rest of the summer basically locked in my room by my relatives." he finished "at least until the Weasley's come and get me" he added quickly.

She was disturbed by what she had heard, and she decided to investigate it over the summer but after considering Harry's request she decided that she would go along with it.

"Okay, Potter, I will not inform Professor Dumbledore of your internship" she said with a smile.

"Can you do the same for Ron and I as well professor" said Hermione whom after she gave her a questioning look elaborated "if Professor Dumbledore finds out that both Ron and I have internships then he'll become suspicious of Harry as well. So, it's better all-round if Professor Dumbledore doesn't know about our internships at all. Please Professor" she added at the end in an almost desperate voice.

After a momentary pause in which she saw the logic behind what Miss Granger was saying she said "Okay I will not inform him about your internships. Will Saturday at 10 am be a good time to go and buy the things that you need?" she asked trying to keep a positive feel to the meeting and she was pleases to see three nods in return.

"Okay meet me here in my office and we'll floo to the Leaky Cauldron together. Now go and enjoy the rest of the day" she with a smile as they stood up and thanked her for being understanding before leaving her office and closing the door on their way out. She sat down and wondered why they had decided for such discretion from her with regards to Professor Dumbledore. She had guesses that Harry's homelife wasn't exactly great, but she never would have guesses that he was basically locked in his room for most of the summer, almost like a prisoner. She had been so against leaving Harry with those muggles, but Albas had overruled her. If what Harry had said was any indication, then she should have fought Albus harder about placing Harry with his relatives but that was water under the bridge now but at least she could help him and his friends with this opportunity. She remembered when she'd seen Harry's name on the list of first years to be sorted. She had been so excited that the son of her two favourite students was coming to Hogwarts. She just hoped that living with those muggles hadn't adversely affected Harry and from what she had seen of him over the last three years he was an almost perfect mix of his parents. Outwardly he was James with Lily's eyes whilst inwardly he was Lily with a little bit of James' troublesome streak in him exemplified with his adventures and his willingness to help out his best mate. She had been so pleased when he had been sorted into Gryffindor and had worried about him throughout his time at Hogwarts. She knew a little about his adventures and what she had heard worried her.

Anyway, now was not the time to think over past decisions she could help him now and she would. Smiling she turned back to the parchments that needed to be filled out for the end of year report and went back to her parchments. There was still work to be done!